Musical theatre fans can finally have something solid to look forward to with the long-awaitedWickedmovie fromUniversal, as director Jon M. Chu announced who would be playing the two leads. There’s been speculation for years as to who would get these coveted roles, and the announcement of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo does not disappoint.
Chu took to social media accounts on Instagram and Twitter to share the news on the evening of November 4th. He confirmed that the role of Glinda will be played by pop superstar Grande, and the role of Elphaba will be played by Erivo. Prior toUniversal’s big-screen adaptation, these roleswere originated on Broadwayby Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.
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Wickedis a record-breaking musical based on the 1995 novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.It tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch, focusing on their unlikely friendship and how they individually stepped into their titles.Wickedfirst premiered on Broadway in 2003 and is one of the top five longest-running Broadway shows. It is currently the second highest-grossing musical of all time, behind onlyDisney’sThe Lion King. Production on theWickedfilm is expected to begin in summer 2022 in the U.K.
BecauseWickedhas been a long favorite of many musical theatre fans around the world, a real movie adaptation has been highly anticipated. This film has been in the works since 2004, just one year after the musical’s Broadway debut. The adaptation will be produced and distributed by Universal. Director Chu is most well known for his hit movieCrazy Rich Asiansand his other highly successful musical adaptationIn The Heights,which was released just this past summer.
Fan response to the casting announcement has been largely positive. While Erivo wasn’t part of the speculative conversations too much, she’s more than qualified after starring in multiple West End and Broadway shows as well as beingnominated for an Oscarfor her work inHarriet. Grande has been long suspected as a potential Glinda and has even Tweeted about how it would be her dream musical theatre role.
There have been a “more than usual” amount of musical adaptations released this year, from the aforementionedIn The HeightstoDear Evan Hansen, and the upcomingWest Side Story. WithWickednow surely on the way it begs the question, are audiences getting excited about musicals? Fans of the genre should be excited, as this can open the door for many more musical adaptations in the future.
Wickedis currently in development atUniversal.
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